The moderator for Session 4 is now Liz Shearer. 

Moderator: Liz Shearer

Ms. Liz Shearer has served as Director of Towson University’s Study Abroad Office since 2014. She is responsible for long and short-term strategic planning. Liz is dedicated to facilitating enriching cultural experiences and extending access to global learning opportunities for students. In 2019, the Study Abroad Office received the Towson University Academic Department Diversity and Inclusion Award. Liz is also the co-founder of Bmore Abroad, which has awarded $20,000 in scholarships to students to study in other countries.

 Originally from Bristol, England, Ms. Shearer came to the U.S. as an international graduate student in 1998 and is an alumna of Towson University. An ardent advocate for intercultural exchange for more than 20 years, Liz has served as Director of the TU Study Abroad Office since 2014. Responsible for long and short-term strategic planning for education abroad, Liz is dedicated to facilitating enriching cultural experiences for students and extending access to global learning opportunities for all students. She has increased overall study participation by 40%; expanded faculty engagement in international initiatives through faculty-led programming, the Faculty Committee on Study Abroad, and the TU Global Lecture Exchange; and has reduced barriers to study abroad for underrepresented students. In 2019, the Study Abroad Office was named recipient of the annual Towson University Academic Department Diversity & Inclusion Award in acknowledgement of the unit’s commitment to advancing diversity and inclusion.  Liz is also the co-founder of Bmore Abroad – a fiscally sponsored organization that operates within Greater Baltimore to tackle education abroad related challenges facing local students and professionals and create a space for productive collaboration in the region. Since its inception, Bmore Abroad has awarded $20,000 in study abroad scholarships to support students in area schools.